A comet closes in for a Holiday rendezvous with Earth, while new stars are born in the Elephant Trunk Nebula, and the coldest place in the universe shows its face. In other words, just another month in space.

The Witch Head nebula, as seen by NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE). Astronomers believe the billowy clouds of the nebula, where baby stars are brewing, are being lit up by massive older stars.